In today's information driven world, ready access to reliable and timely information is extremely important. The emergence of computer networks and their widespread use as information highways has made searching for, and delivery of, information much easier than in times past. The widespread use of e-mail for sending and receiving information over the Internet is evidence of the importance of the Internet as an information highway.
Most users of the Internet use the World Wide Web (hereinafter referred to as the “web”) to retrieve web pages that are hosted by particular servers on the Internet using Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and domain naming conventions that are well known in the art. The popularity of the web and rapid advances in server technology and software, such as INTERNET EXPLORER and FIREFOX brand web browsers, have resulted in many applications being provided on Internet-based servers as enterprise solutions for use by a great number of people rather than on a stand-alone computer for use only by individual users. More importantly, information providers and information consumers are much more computer savvy today than in the past and often look to the Internet as a solution of choice for their information collection and dissemination needs.
Consumers of goods and services (hereinafter referred to as “Buyers”) often rely on the Internet as an information resource to guide their purchase decisions at some point during the selection process. Increasingly, Buyers, especially more sophisticated Buyers, are turning to trusted advisors (referred to hereinafter as “Influencers”) to guide their purchase decisions. Influencers come in many forms, including the following:
1. People: Reporters, Editors, Financial Analysts, Industry Analysts, Associations/Forums, Regulatory Bodies, etc.;
2. Web-Based Media: Online Vertical Sites and Buyer's Guides covering a specific industry or a broad spectrum of technology-based products, Directories, Links Pages, FAQs, Comparative Websites, and Search Engines; and
3. Other Media: Print Publications, such as magazines and newspapers, Radio, and TV Shows, such as MSNBC, CNET TV, etc.
Influencers fill a critical role in helping consumers to better understand product requirements and features and to move more quickly to a purchase decision. Influencers are the gatekeepers through which the sellers of goods and services (referred to hereinafter as “Sellers”) reach Buyers--whether buying optical telecommunications switching equipment or cleaning fluids for contract office cleaners. Influencers are the indirect channels that influence the Buyers. Sellers must, therefore, establish strong relationships with the many Influencers who have influence over their respective Buyers to successfully guide those Buyers to purchase the Seller's products and services.
Among the specific Influencer information that a buyer may utilize in making purchase decision is information provided in the following forms:
4. Web Content Publishers: Vertical Websites/Portals, Comparison Sites, Search Engines, Discussion Groups, FAQs, and Links Pages;
5. Print Publications: Buyer's Guides and Directories;
6. Analysts: Industry Analyst and Financial Analyst Reports;
7. Industry Associations/Forums/Regulatory Bodies: Industry Standards/Trends, Membership Directories, Members Listed by Product/Services Categorizations, and Industry Statistics; and
8. Other Media: Radio/Web Broadcasts and TV/Web Broadcasts. Buyers making purchasing decisions, however, are not the only parties that rely on such forms of information. Sellers and Influencers also must rely on those forms of information.
For example, those within a particular industry who are tasked with following and/or reporting on industry developments, such as reporters or analysts, i.e., Influencers, must have ready and rapid access to industry news and trends. And, those within a particular industry who are tasked with keeping industry followers informed, such as company sales and marketing departments, i.e., Sellers, are equally motivated to get their message out. The resulting challenge is that of achieving the objectives of Influencers, Buyers, and Sellers as efficiently and effectively as possible.
Although the Internet's phenomenal success has brought a wealth of options to users' computer screens, allowing users to research and locate products and services that best fit the users' needs and wants, so many options now exist that searching for information on the Internet can easily become a daunting task because relevant information often is difficult to find, conflicting, incomplete, or simply missing. The novice user can easily become overwhelmed trying to discern who has what information and how the information may best be obtained. Accordingly, the Internet does not always allow those having information to share with a reliable method of reaching their intended audience.
Accordingly, there is a great need in the art for a method and apparatus for collecting and disseminating information in an organized and systematic manner for information providers and information consumers. This need in the art extends to work flow and coordination paths for the execution and processing of legal documents, i.e., nondisclosure agreements, multi-party leases, rental and sales contracts and the like; arranging of meetings and appointments; coordinating contests and product reviews; and all other activities involving two or more parties where the rapid and reliable flow of information between parties is important.